Stepping Stones
by ThnksFrThMmrs87
Summary: Sequel to Baby Steps. Every child goes through their own milestones, and little Sophia Flack is no exception.
1. Say What?

Note From The Author—Here we go, here's the new sequel to Baby Steps. This will be a series of relatively short chapters chronicling the milestones in Sophia's life. I hope you'll all enjoy and here we go.

Disclaimer—I don't own the characters of CSI: NY

Don Flack didn't know if he should laugh, cry or punch something. A child's first words were supposed to be monumental. They were supposed to be defining and amazing and heart warming. So why the hell did he feel so aggravated?

To be fair, Sophia's first word had been a defining moment. By the very nature of the fact that they were her first words they were spectacular for both of her parents. However, the choice of word had her mother wearing a bemused smile and her father incredibly upset.

All of this was what brought Flack to stand outside of the trace lab with a scowl twisted on his handsome face and arms crossed aggressively over his chest. "Sophia said her first word this morning," he announced.

Without looking up from his work Danny smiled. "That's awesome man. She's really growing up so…" He cut off when he raised his head and saw the hard look on his best friend's face. "Oh hell, it wasn't something with four letters was it? I swear to God that was only one time."

Don shook his head. "No it wasn't anything like that." He stepped farther into the room. "It was Boom."

For a minute Danny wasn't sure how to react; then he burst into laughter. "Come on Don, it's not that bad. It could have been a whole lot worse."

"Dan, my little girl's first word was boom. Not mommy, not daddy; Boom!"

"Flack I wouldn't even worry about it. She's such a smart kid she'll probably have a huge vocabulary in no time. Daddy's probably next on the list."

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "You're right. I'm sure she'll start saying more and more. I'm just being stupid."

And yet, two weeks later he was still cursing Danny. Every night as he and Stella played with their daughter they would repeat words for her in an effort to get her to say something else, anything else really. Each and every time they got the same result. After a few days Stella stopped pushing it so hard. She knew that it would happen when it happened, but Don couldn't seem to get past it.

One night he was changing her diaper while Stella put away toys and clothes and as usual he was working on new words. "Come on Sophie, say something else for Daddy. How about Daddy? Daddy? No? Try mama. Mama?"

Sophia only regarded him with big blue eyes. She giggled and clapped her hands and he prayed that something new was about to come out of her mouth. Stella looked on, shaking her head with a smile as he watched Sophia eagerly. Then their little girl opened her mouth and spoke.

"Boom."


	2. Birthday Girl

Note From The Author-- Yay for a new chapter. I like this one, but then I would since I wrote it : )

Flack could only grin as he stood back and watched his wife hum as she wrapped presents. Their little girl's first birthday was the next day, and they were having a party with all of their friends to celebrate the occasion. He'd been helping where he could most of the day, for the moment he was content to just lean against the door and look his fill.

Without turning around, Stella's hummed tune broke off and she spoke to him. "Are you going to stand there and look at my ass all day or are you going to come and help me finish this?" she asked, her voice filled with humor.

Laughing, Don walked across the room to wrap his arms around her. "I like looking at your ass," he told her quietly before bending to kiss her neck. "It's very nice."

"Thank you." She turned around long enough to give him a real kiss then returned to her task. "Now grab that last present."

"Stell, you realize Sophie's not going to remember any of this, right?"

She nodded. "I know, but I want to make sure that she gets to experience all of the milestones."

He didn't have any reason to argue with her. He knew that Stella sometimes felt cheated that she'd missed out on so much not having a family, and he knew that she wanted to make sure Sophia never had any reason to feel that way. So he leaned over to kiss her again then picked up a little stuffed hippo. "She's going to get it all Stell. Now how the hell am I supposed to wrap this?"

The party the next day was a smashing success. All of their friends from the lab were there, and they were all thrilled to be present. They came with a battalion of presents that made Stella and Lindsay grin and Flack and Danny shake their heads a bit. The biggest surprise was the gorgeous little cake that Adam and Kendall brought with them.

"Is there anything you don't know how to do?" Lindsay asked Kendall.

She shrugged. "I told you I bore easily."

Cameras came out and flashed like crazy as Stella and Flack sat with Sophia and blew out the candle for her. In a moment she was covered in bright pink frosting and cake crumbs and Don could only laugh as she decided to share with Daddy and reached up to press her frosting covered hands against his cheeks.

They all watched as she opened their presents, cooing over everyone's adorable choices. Then everyone laughed as, in true one year old tradition, discarded the stuffed animals and dresses to play with boxes and wrapping paper.

Danny and Flack stood together sharing a beer, watching Stella and Mac talk as the baby sat between them on the floor. Flack grinned as Sophia picked up her wrapping paper and handed it to Mac piece by piece. The older man took every piece with a smile and a bright thank you, until he had a mountainous pile on his lap. "He's good with kids," he commented to Danny.

"Yeah he is," Danny responded. "It kind of amazes me how domesticated we've all gotten since you and Stella had a baby."

"I wouldn't say domesticated."

He laughed. "Please, domesticated's exactly the right word. Look at us all oohing and aahing over stuffed purple hippos and little pink dresses. I'd call it domesticated."

Lindsay sidled up next to her husband and kissed his cheek. "Lamenting your misspent bachelorhood?" she asked.

"Course not," he told her. "I just never imagined all of us standing in Stella and Flack's living room for a baby's first talking about stuffed animals and baby clothes."

She smiled up at him. "You'd better get used to it. We'll all be doing the same thing all over again once our little boy or girl comes," she told him casually.

Danny's mouth fell open as he looked down at her. "You mean? We?"

She nodded, smiling radiantly. Then everyone's heads turned and Sophia burst into tears as Danny hit the floor.


	3. Bye Bye Baby Brother

Note From The Author—Okay, so I hope this comes out as cute as I'm hoping. I owe thanks to a sibling of a friend of a sibling because I actually know someone who tried to do exactly what Sophie tries in this chapter. Also, the sex and name of Danny and Lindsay's little one is revealed in this chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer—I don't own any of the characters of CSI: NY, except for the little one's I invented, of course.

Sophia Flack couldn't seem to stop feeling upset. When her baby brother Patrick had been in her mama's tummy it had been all well and good, but then he had come out. From that day on it had been nothing but crying and eating and icky smells. Sophia loved her baby brother, but he was loud and stinky and she hated that everyone had been paying more attention to him than her in the three months since he had been born.

Which was why, when her Daddy turned to the stove to finish her lunch one day, she did her best to work on getting rid of Patrick. As she sat in her chair a the little table her Daddy had set up for her and her baby brother sat in his carrier she went to work. Then the door opened, and her mother walked in. Her little heart began to race and she very quietly stood and fled to her room.

Sophie hid under her covers, knowing that her mom and dad were about to figure out exactly what she'd been up to. Never in her four years of life had she ever been so terrified to face her parents and she knew they would be calling her in soon.

Sure enough her mother's voice rang out. "Sophia Elyse Flack, come out here right now."

When she came out Stella was standing with her hands on her hips and Flack stood next to her, holding the baby. "Sophia, do you want to explain this?" Stella asked. Then she held out the two postage stamps that her husband had carefully peeled from their son's forehead.

She shook her head and Flack sighed. "Sophia, that wasn't really a question. Tell us what's going on."

"Maria said that's what her parents do when they want to send something away."

Stella kneeled down to bring herself to her daughter's level. "Don't blame this on Maria or Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Danny, Sophie."

"I'm not mama, I swear! I just…."

"You just what honey?" Flack asked.

Sophie's big blue eyes swam with tears. "I just wanted Patrick to go away for a while."

"Why on earth would you want that?" Stella asked.

"Nobody pays attention to me anymore. Everybody loves Patrick more than me."

For a moment Stella and Flack were both rendered completely speechless. Then she leaned forward to hug her little girl. "Sweetie that's not true. We don't love you any less because you have a baby brother now. We love you just as much as we did before Patrick came and we always will. We just love him too."

"But everyone always wants to see him first. They always want to talk about him and hold him and play with him instead of me," she said sadly.

Don passed the baby to Stella as she stood up, then he bent to swing Sophie up into his arms. "People just get excited because Patrick's so new. Everyone still loves you sweetheart, and they still want to play with you and hold you. They just worry that you don't want to be picked up and carried and stuff like that because you're getting to be a big girl. So what you have to do is tell us all how you feel before you get so mad that you try and do something like mail off your baby brother."

"You're daddy's right sweetie. We can't help you if you don't tell us what you're feeling."

She nodded. "Okay, I'll try. I'm sorry I tried to mail Patrick away."

"We know you are. Lucky for you it doesn't work that way, because I'm sure you would have missed your little brother if you had actually sent him away," Flack told her with a smile.

Sophia nodded again. Then an adorably confused smile came over her face. "You can't mail people?"


	4. Brawling

Note From The Author—Seriously, I just think my creativity is in overdrive. Either that or I've got way too much on my mind. Either way, you get a new chapter, complete with an unabashed statement straight from yours truly the raging liberal in a sea of conservatives. : ) Enjoy.

Lindsay was completely shell shocked. The last thing she ever expected was to be getting this call, at least this early in her daughter's school career. Yet here she was, standing in the principal's office with one hand on her daughters shoulder and the other on her goddaughter's.

"They what?"

The matronly and entirely unpleasant looking woman frowned. "They, along with another child, started a brawl."

"With all due respect Mrs. Hansen they're in the first and second grade. How on earth could they have possibly started a brawl?"

"That would be the problem Mrs. Messer. Neither they, nor the other children involved will tell us what happened. All they will say is that your daughter and Sophia began it all. They'll have to be taken home for the day, and disciplinary action will be taken. We have, however, been unable to contact Mr. or Mrs. Flack for Sophia."

Lindsay sighed. "They're on a case with my husband, Mrs. Hansen. If you don't have any objections I'll take my goddaughter with me."

She made a decidedly 'humph' like noise. "Very well then, you all may go."

"Sophia, Maria get your things please," she told them, feeling very weary.

When Stella picked up her messages some half an hour later she was bowled over by the one Lindsay had left. "Stella, I've got Maria and Sophia at our place." She looked down at her watch; the girls shouldn't have been out of school for hours yet. "They've been sent home for 'starting a brawl', as the principal put it. For now I've set them up in Maria's room with their school work. I figured we should all hear the explanation together. Do me a favor and let Danny and Flack know what's going on and I'll see you at the end of the shift." There was a pause, followed by a heaving sigh. "This is so not what I was expecting to do on my day off."

She erased the message and disconnected the call, dropping her phone into her pocket. Turning, she watched the rest of the interrogation impatiently. When a uniform led the suspect out and Danny and Flack followed she let out a sigh much like Lindsay's. "We've got a problem."

By seven that night, their informal powwow with their daughters had commenced in Danny and Lindsay's kitchen. Flack sent Patrick off to play in Maria's room while they talked, and then the four of them settled in on one side of the island across from their girls.

"You two want to tell us what happened today?" Danny asked.

Maria and Sophie shared a look before the younger girl spoke up. "The other kids were being mean to Jacob," she told them.

"Who's Jacob sweetie?" Lindsay asked.

Here Sophia took over. "He's a boy in my grade. Maria and I were playing with him at recess and the boys started calling him names."

"What kind of names?" Don questioned.

"I don't want to say Daddy, they were really mean."

Stella met her daughter's eyes. "You don't have to say the words, honey, but why were they making fun of him?"

"Because he was playing jacks with us," Maria told her godmother.

"They said he must like boys if he was playing a girly game like that," Sophie said, sounding angry.

All four of the adults were completely shell shocked. They combated that kind of hate every day, but none had ever dreamed that it would enter into their children's lives so early on. "What happened then?" Danny asked.

"All three of us said to go away and leave us alone, Daddy. We didn't mean to start a fight, honest."

Sophia nodded. "We really didn't. But they just kept calling Jacob mean names and it wasn't fair. They don't even know him."

"And even if he did like boys it wouldn't matter," Maria added.

The Flacks and Messers felt their hearts swell with pride for their children. "That's right," Flack told them, wishing that everyone could have the capacity for love of six or seven year old child.

"We just wanted to keep playing jacks, but stupid Billy wouldn't go away," Sophia chimed back in. "So I punched him."

"You punched him?" Stella asked.

She knew her mother would probably be upset, and she nodded somewhat sheepishly. "I punched him."

"Yeah," the littlest Messer added. "Then I punched Jackson."

Flack grimaced. "And I'm guessing all hell broke loose."

"Don't swear Daddy."

"I'll try," he said with a smile.

Maria spoke again. "Jacob hit Sam after I hit Jackson and then…"

"Almost all of both of our classes were fighting."

"Then Mrs. Hansen pulled us all apart," Maria told them, very matter of fact about the whole situation.

They were in a sticky situation here. Nobody was quite sure how to move forward; but since they had to say something, Danny started. "Girls, you both know it's wrong to try and fix things with violence."

There was a chorus of 'I know Daddy' and 'I know Uncle Danny'.

Here Stella took over. "We're upset that you started a fight, because you know better than that. But we're also very proud of you."

Both Maria and Sophia looked genuinely confused. "You are mama?"

Stella nodded and Lindsay addressed them. "You stood up for a friend when others were being hateful, and that's exactly what you should have done."

"You were both right. It doesn't matter if Jacob or anyone else likes boys or girls or whatever," Flack told them. "All that matters is that he's your friend."

They circled up briefly and talked amongst themselves before turning back to their daughters. "Your teachers or your principal are going to discipline you in some way," Lindsay told them.

"We know," Maria told her mother. "Mrs. Hansen told us that."

"We think that's enough punishment," Danny said.

Both girls' eyes widened and they spoke in unison. "Really?"

Stella nodded. "Really. You're being punished at school for starting the fight, but we won't discipline you for standing up to bullies who were treating someone badly."

"But understand that we aren't okay with you fighting or hitting, and you'll be in big trouble if it happens again. Next time try to use your words, and if that doesn't work you tell a teacher," Flack said pointedly.

"We will," they chorused.

"Good. Now why don't you two go get Patrick and we'll all go have some dinner," Stella suggested.

The girls were down off their stools and off running in seconds. But something occurred to Maria and she stopped and came running back to her father. "Daddy?"

He knelt down to his daughter's level. "Yeah munchkin?"

"We just wanted everyone to be nice and be able to play with our friend. We really did a good thing?"

Danny felt his heart melt and he leaned in to hug his little girl. "Yeah sweetheart, you did good."


	5. Crushed

Disclaimer—I don't own the characters of CSI: NY, only the children and some of the spouses are of my own creation.

He had been dreading this day since the doctor had announced it was a girl. He knew it would happen eventually, but he hadn't expected it to creep up on him so fast. This was his little girl he was talking about, his baby. Yet here she was at the tender age of eleven years old and she couldn't stop talking about some boy named Eli.

Don felt somewhat sick to his stomach as he picked at his dinner and listened to Sophie go on and on about how much fun she and Maria had had that afternoon playing at Eli's house. Evidently everything Eli did was completely fantastic if you asked his daughter and goddaughter. He had a pool and a trampoline and he was cute and funny and everything he said was law.

Stella listened patiently as Sophia talked, nodding in all the right places and making remarks where they were expected. It certainly didn't escape her that her husband was looking like someone had just kicked his puppy, but for the moment she kept her focus on their little girl. "What happened then?"

"Then Eli went to go get us some snacks and it was so funny because he…"

Sophie was cut off when her little brother groaned. "What?" she asked.

"All you talk about is Eli! It's gross! I don't even know why he wants to hang out with you anyway, girls have cooties," Patrick muttered.

Stella shook her head. "Be polite to your sister Patrick, she and Maria and Eli like playing together and that's all that matters."

"Yeah, we like playing together. Besides Patrick, if girls have cooties why do you like playing with April so much?"

Despite his discomfort at his daughter's choice of topic Flack couldn't help but smile at the blush that crept up Patrick's neck. April was Sheldon's little girl. He had met his wife Carrie, a lawyer friend of Stella's, not long after Sophie's first birthday. A year later they were married and a few months after Patrick's arrival Carrie had given birth to their daughter April. Since she and Patrick were so close to the same age they ended up playing together a lot. Though he knew his son was way too young to be feeling the same things as Sophie, he knew there was definitely a connection between Patrick and April.

"That's different," he told his big sister, green eyes identical to his mother's narrowing. "We just play.

Sophie's own blue eyes narrowed right back. "That's the same thing we do."

Then Patrick went for the jugular. "Yeah, well I don't have a crush on April like you and Maria do on Eli!"

And there was that word: crush. It was the word Flack had been dreading for the past eleven years and one that sent an embarrassed Sophia over the edge. "I do not have a crush! Mom, Dad!"

Flack shook his head. "Okay, both of you stop. Quit teasing each other and finish your dinner please."

Both children settled back down with mutinous glances at each other. They ate the remainder of their dinners in relative silence and glared at each other as they finished their desserts. When they were both excused from the table Stella and Flack watched as they jostled each other down the hall and into their bedrooms to finish their school work.

Don stood and began to gather dishes. Stella was going to ask him what he thought, they just knew each other too well and she would have seen his discomfort. Still, the question came sooner than he expected. "So what do you think about that?"

He sighed. "I feel about as wonderful about it as you're expecting me too. I feel like punching something and locking her in her room until she's thirty."

Stella smiled. "Well, we can't lock her up but I could find something for you to punch."

"I think I'll survive." He sank down into a chair, shaking his head. "I just can't figure out when she got so big. Next thing we know she'll want to go on her first date," he said with an exaggerated shudder.

"Don't remind me please, I'm not ready to think about that." She settled herself into his lap and wound her arms around his neck. "Still, if you get past the scary factor of our little girl growing up so fast, it is kind of cute."

Flack nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, I guess I can get to cute, but it doesn't make me any happier about it."

"I can understand that," Stella told him, bringing her mouth to his for a gentle kiss. "Unfortunately I don't think we can avoid her getting older on us."

For a moment he looked incredibly pensive, and then his eyes met hers. "Are you sure we can't just lock her up?"


	6. Cleaning This Gun

Note From The Author-- The milestone that every father dreads; his daughter's first date with someone they're serious about. Flack is certainly no exception to the rule : )

Disclaimer-- I don't own the characters and the song that is referenced in the title is Cleaning This Gun by Rodney Atkins (which is hillarious by the way, if you've never heard it)

"Daddy, you're not going to embarrass me right?"

Flack, who up until that moment had been stirring pasta sauce, turned around to look at his daughter. "Honey, I may be a dad, but I'd like to think that I've done a pretty good job of not mortifying you for the past sixteen years."

Sophia didn't say a word; she just arched one eyebrow and for a second she looked so like her mother that he couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, so maybe I've only done a decent job of it."

"Just, don't pull a move like that country song and threaten him or anything."

Stella walked in just in time to hear her daughter's plea and she smiled. "Sophie we don't need to threaten the boy."

"Yeah, he already knows what we do for a living. It's not like he's really confused about the fact that we carry guns," Don commented.

"Daddy!"

He smiled at her. "Sophie, there will be no threats or naked baby pictures. I'll do my best not to mortify you, but since I'm your father I can't make any guarantees."

She nodded and pressed a hand to her nervous stomach. "I know you'll be fine Daddy', I'm just so nervous."

Stella could have told her that without the confession. "It's your first date with a boy you really like; it's not surprising that you're nervous."

"Do I look okay?" Sophia asked, twirling around.

"You look gorgeous sweetie," her dad told her.

Sophie heard the emotion in his voice and smiled. "I'm not growing up that fast."

He laughed. "Speak for yourself. To me it seems like you're mother and I found out she was pregnant like a week ago."

"Daddy…" She trailed off and walked into the kitchen to hug him. "It doesn't matter how old I get, I'm never going to stop being your little girl."

Don hugged her tightly against him for a moment before letting her go. "I know, and I was being perfectly honest; you look beautiful."

"Your father's right, you look amazing; but Finn is supposed to be here in five minutes so you may want to go grab your coat," Stella told her.

"You're right, I'll go grab it. I'm more excited than nervous now," she said happily as she practically bounced off.

Stella watched her go, the sweet little baby doll dress she had insisted on buying swirling around her knees. "She is growing up that fast," she said quietly.

"She is." He reached out and settled a hand on her hip to pull her into his arms. "She's growing up way too fast for my taste, but we've done a good job with her."

"We really have," Stella sighed.

He shook his head. "And you were worried."

She laughed. "Yeah I was worried, but evidently for absolutely no reason. I think we've managed remarkably well without screwing her and Patrick up too horribly."

"Not too horribly anyway."

He grinned, and Stella found that the potency of that grin of his hadn't diminished in fifteen plus years of marriage. One look from him still made her feel a pull of desire, and she leaned up to bring her mouth to his.

"Do you have to do that?" Patrick's voice rang out from behind them and they both turned to find their youngest looking at them with something akin to disgust on his face.

"How do you think you got here?" Don questioned, laughing when Stella slapped his chest.

Patrick's eyes practically crossed with the horrible face he made. "Okay, that I never wanted to think about," he told them, taking a seat at the table. "Maybe if you feed me it'll make it better."

"Hold your horses," Stella told him. She ruffled his hair as she passed, and couldn't help but smile when he tried to swat her hand away.

There was a quiet knock on the front door moments later and Don went to get the door as Stella turned to go let Sophia know. But in true preteen boy fashion, Patrick beat her to it. "Soph your date's here!!" he yelled.

She came thundering down the stairs and stopped to glare at her little brother. "Was that absolutely necessary?" she asked icily.

He grinned. "Positively."

"Jerk," she muttered underneath her breath. Her frown rapidly turned the other way around as her Dad walked back into the room with Finn in tow. "Finn, hi."

"Hey Sophie, you look wonderful."

Stella took her daughter's date in as Sophie introduced him to her father and brother. He was tall; she bet he'd be about Don's height when he quit growing. His hair was just a little bit longer than she generally preferred on men but it seemed to work on him, and Sophia loved it. The eyes were an expressive grassy green and he dressed impeccably. Stella found that she approved.

Sophie finished her introductions with her mother then turned to Finn. "So I guess we're ready to go then," she told him with a smile.

Don couldn't resist it; he had to find a way to slip it in there. "Make sure you're home at a decent hour Sophie. You have dance class in the morning and you need to be up early so your mother and I can drop you off on our way to work."

The comment, subtle though it had been, had exactly the desired effect. Though he never had his piece on his person at home, Finn's eyes strayed right to where it would have been before nervously smiling. "I'll have her back by twelve sir."

"Thank you Finn." Stella told him, holding back laughter.

With one more slightly nervous look back, Finn took Sophia's hand and they headed out. Stella and Flack managed to hold in the laughter until they heard the door shut. "You just couldn't resist could you?" she asked, grinning.

"Nope." He looked over and found the image of his wife giggling absolutely irresistible, so he tugged her into his arms to kiss her again.

"Oh come on you guys!" Patrick cried.

Stella smiled over at him. "You may as well just get used to it kiddo." She turned back to lace her arms around Don's neck. "It's not likely to stop anytime soon."

They kissed again, and Patrick decided that one word could sum up the entire night. "Eww."


	7. Stealing Cinderella

Disclaimer-- I don't own the characters and the song reference here comes from the adorable song Stealing Cinderella by Chuck Wicks

As she tried to clean up the kitchen, Stella found herself pausing every few seconds to wring the paper towel in her hands and worry. After about the tenth time she went over the same spot she gave up, choosing instead to sit at the table and think.

"Stell, are you okay?" Don asked as he came into the room.

She nodded. "I'm fine."

"Okay, I would take your word for it, but I'm inclined to wonder what that paper towel ever did to piss you off," he told her.

Stella looked down to find that she'd torn the thing into little tiny pieces and laughed. "So maybe I'm not completely fine."

He took a seat next to her and took her hand. "You worried?"

"How could I not be? My daughter calls me and tells me that she really needs to talk to me because something big has happened, how do I not worry? For all we know…"

"Stell, we both know what it's probably going to be about."

She shook her head. "And if it is what we're expecting? I'm supposed to not worry about my twenty year old getting engaged?"

"You think I'm not worried?" he asked. "I'm terrified that's exactly what's going on and I'm losing the last vestiges of my control over what she does."

"She's a grown up now," she said quietly.

Don reached over to brush a hand over her cheek. "Exactly. As much as we hate to think about it she really is a grown up now, and evidently with her and Finn the fifth time is the charm."

Stella frowned. "What do you mean fifth? I know they've been sort of off and on but I swear it hasn't been more than three."

"It's five," he told her. "See she dated him for a pretty decent amount of time after that first date, but then they broke up and she went out with that kid who wore nothing but black."

"Ian," she provided.

He smiled. "That's the one. And then for a while she dated that hockey player who talked like he'd been checked one too many times."

Stella laughed. "He really was bad."

"Yes, yes he was," he said, his tone mock serious. "Then she and Finn got back together for a couple of months before they broke up the second time, and that was when she was seeing the kid who wanted to be on Broadway and spent his entire life in voice lessons."

"Oh yeah, and then it was Finn for the third time. Then that really sweet guy who worked at a nursing home on the weekends who ended up moving to Florida," she mused.

Don held up four fingers and wiggled them at her. "So Finn's back in the picture for try number four."

"Then there was the jackass that Sophie punched in the face after he told her if they got married she'd have to stay home in the kitchen after the kids were born." She reached over and put his last finger up. "Enter Finn for run number five which has been going strong for a year."

He stood with a sigh, gathering the remnants of paper towel that littered the table and walking into the kitchen to toss them. "They're already living together Stell." He still wasn't happy about that. It wasn't like he didn't know that his daughter was a grown woman, but her moving in with her boyfriend made it damn near impossible to ignore the fact that she most likely had a healthy sex life. "I'm sure they're coming over so he can ask our blessing and she can show us the ring."

"I know," she said, sounding frustrated. "But the minute she called my thought process went apocalyptic. I'll be relieved when it turns out to be a proposal."

"Speak for yourself," he muttered to himself.

Sensing his distress she got up to join him in the kitchen, wrapping her arms around his waist. "It's hard, imagining that our little girl could be getting married soon."

"Incredibly hard," he conceded. "But she always seems to come back to Finn, and in my book that means that he must be the one for her. Doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

She laughed. "No, it doesn't mean that either of us has to be happy about it."

"Life always keeps moving," he said, closing his eyes and pulling her tight against him.

"Yes it does." For a moment she closed her eyes as well and they just stood there together. So many years later she was still content to just breathe him in, and there were still times when she just needed her to hold him. All she could hope was that her daughter had found the same sort of love.

The door opened and shut quietly and Sophie's voice rang out. "Mom, Dad?"

"In here sweetie," Stella called. She pulled back and pressed a kiss to his heart before moving to greet her daughter.

Sophia came gliding in as if she were floating on air, and that was all Stella needed to know that her little girl was getting married. "Mama look," she squealed, holding her hand out.

"It's beautiful honey," she told her honestly. "Look Don."

He shook his head. "I'm a man so a diamond is just a diamond, but if you tell me it's beautiful I'll just nod and smile."

"Oh Daddy," she laughed.

Finn spoke up for the first time. "I know we did this a bit backwards, but Sophie found the ring in my pocket when she was shaking a pair of pants at me and threatening life and limb if I didn't quit leaving dirty clothes on the floor," he told them with a grin. "It wasn't exactly how I planned on asking her, but either way I hope that you'll give us your blessing."

"Of course," Stella told them, squeezing her daughter's hand gently. "If this is what the two of you want and you're both happy, that's all that matters to us."

Sophie looked over at her father nervously. "Daddy?"

For a moment he just looked at her. Though she was standing there in front of him looking so grown up in her stylish jeans and jacket with her hair cascading over her shoulders and a diamond glinting on her finger he could still see her in his minds eye, resting on his hip as he and Stella got married. "I'm really not sure what to say here. This is one of the moments that a father dreads; but I'm with your mother Sophie. All I care is that you're healthy and happy."

"I am Daddy," she said quietly.

"Then take my blessing, then run away with it before I stop to think," he told her.

They all burst into laughter and Don caught his daughter as she launched herself into this arms. From over Sophie's shoulder Finn caught his eyes, and for a moment the two men just looked at each other. After a moment Don nodded, and when Finn nodded as well it was clear that the younger man understood the elder's feelings.

Finn knew that he would become the man in Sophia's life. They would become husband and wife, and he would do his very best to make her happy. But no matter what happened, she would always be her father's daughter, she would always be his little girl. It was like that country song. Finn was prince charming and Sophie was the princess; but no matter how well Don and Finn got along, no matter how close they became, Finn would always be the guy responsible for stealing Cinderella.


	8. Love You Baby Brother

Note From The Author-- This is yet another WARNING that this chapter is really intense. It goes into some pretty heavy stuff and there's suggestion of controversial material in here. If you don't feel like that's something you want to get involved with or that you're not comfortable with, it may be best that you just wait for the final chapter of the story out soon and forget this one ever existed. For those who stick around April appears in this chapter. Just as a reminder she's Hawkes and his wife Carrie's daughter and she and Pat have been friends since they were very little. Here we go.

When her phone rang out shrilly Sophia rolled over and glared at the clock. Logically she knew she really shouldn't be all that upset about being woken up at the crack of noon, but it was her day off damn it. Not only was it her day off, it was the first day off she'd managed in the past three months of squeezing in extra shifts between classes so she could afford a new car. She had fully intended to sleep as long as she possibly could; she had even convinced Finn to get ready in the dark so he didn't wake her up.

So though she felt a bit like a lazy brat, she couldn't keep from snapping at whoever was on the other end. "What?"

"God Sophie, what's your damage?" Patrick questioned.

"My damage is you calling me on my day off, you pest. What do you want?" There was a tense pause in the wake of her question, and Sophia sat bolt upright in bed, her pulse suddenly racing. "What's wrong did something happen to mom or dad?"

He sighed. "No, mom and dad are both fine, I'm sorry I scared you."

The elder Flack breathed a sigh of relief. "It's okay, but what's going on?" she questioned.

"I was wondering if I could come over and talk to you."

Sophie looked over at the clock again. "Shouldn't you be at school?"

"If I wanted a lecture I would have called mom or Aunt Lindsay," he responded flatly.

Something was really wrong here, and before she responded she was already out of bed and tugging on her jeans and a sweatshirt. "Pat what's wrong?"

"April thinks she might be pregnant."

She froze where she was standing. "Jesus," she whispered, sitting down hard on the edge of the bed. "Jesus Pat, do Sheldon and Carrie know?"

He swallowed hard. "Not yet. She wants to be absolutely sure either way before she says anything."

"What..."

"Soph this is too hard to explain over the phone. Can I please just come over there?"

She was so shaken that she nodded before she remembered he couldn't see her. "Yeah," she told him. "Come over, I'll be waiting."

She waited, and she paced while she did. It only took Patrick half an hour to get there but it seemed like a millennium before she opened the door to him. For a moment she just looked him over, and it struck her that her baby brother had gotten so handsome, and that he looked so lost. Without saying a word she let him in, then she handed him a cup of black coffee when he sat down heavily on her couch.

"What happened Pat?" she questioned.

Her mother's green eyes stared back at her when he looked up. "If I have to explain that to you I think you and Finn have been doing something wrong."

For a moment her big sister, 'come here so I can smack you' instincts flared up. Then she remembered why he was there. "You know what I mean. Patrick how could you two have been so careless?"

"The baby, if there is a baby, isn't mine," he said quietly.

And there was the pain; it was written all over his face and she sat down next to him, touching his arm gently. "Oh Patrick. How far along?"

He shook his head. "If it turns out she is then she's three months in; it happened a couple weeks before we got together."

"Maybe you should start at the beginning," she urged as gently as she could.

His voice was carefully neutral as he began to take her through it. "We heard about the party that Maria's roommate threw while you two were in Florida," he told her.

"Damn it Patrick you know better than to go to one of her parties. They always get out of hand."

"Yeah, got that, thanks," he said bitterly. "Anyway we went to the party. Like I said it was before we finally got together, when we were both still trying to decide what to do about everything. She was pissed at me and she peeled off and headed straight for the drinks. That friend of yours from school Eli grabbed me and he was listening to me vent. I completely lost track of April."

He paused and Sophie could tell he was getting to the difficult part. "Take a break if you need to Pat."

He shook his head. "She got buzzed. I could tell that she was sober by the time I found her. I hadn't seen her in close to two hours when I got a text message from her telling me where she was. When I found her she was wrapped up in a blanket on the floor in Maria's room. She'd been with some jackass that we went to school with who had graduated a couple years back the whole time."

"Oh God, he didn't?"

"No he didn't rape her, thank God for small blessings," he told her. "Evidently he was interested in her when he went to school with us. One thing led to another that night and they slept together; it was totally consensual. In the moment she was all for it but when it was over she freaked out. She threw him out of the room and wouldn't let anyone come in until I got there. I wanted to kill the bastard but she told me that he hadn't forced her and I didn't know what to do."

Sophia felt a tear trace its way down her cheek. "At least she wasn't raped Patrick."

His eyes met hers and she saw tears of his own shining there. "No, she wasn't raped, but she lost her virginity to a guy she barely knew on Maria's floor with fifty people in the next room and a chair under the doorknob so nobody could get in."

"Oh my God," she whispered.

Patrick shook his head, and for the first time he let the tears fall. "I told her it didn't matter; that I couldn't care less how it had happened and that she hadn't done anything wrong. But Soph she was so ashamed of herself it broke my heart. She said she couldn't believe how stupid she'd been and that she'd do anything to go back and change it; she said she wished it had been me," he said, heartbreak in his voice.

Her heart broke for both him and for April. "What did you do?"

"She completely lost it. I just held her until she stopped crying and when she did I got her into a pair of Maria's sweats and had Eli block for me while I got her the hell out of there. Sheldon and Carrie were out of town so I told mom and dad that I was staying at a friend's house and I took her home. She didn't sleep all night, she just wept and all I could do was hold onto her and make sure that she choked something down in the morning."

"The poor thing," Sophia murmured.

He nodded. "It was hard the next couple days; we weren't sure how to deal with each other. Then about a week later we finally sat down and talked about it. A week after that we finally got together. Everything has been going so well but lately she's been a little off balance. I asked her why yesterday and she told me that she might be pregnant. I didn't know what to do."

"Why me?" she asked.

"Who else? You're my big sister and even though we fight you were the first person I thought of. I wasn't sure what to do but I knew I couldn't talk to mom or dad, and Uncle Danny and Aunt Lindsay were out of the question; they wouldn't be able to keep it from Sheldon and Carrie, and I understand why. I just needed to talk, and there wasn't a better choice than you."

Sophia had always known that her baby brother was pretty amazing; still her mind was screaming that he was exactly that, her baby brother. He was only seventeen years old, but already he was so strong. She knew that if she had to deal with something like this at his age she would have run straight to her parents. She just wouldn't have been able to handle it, and it amazed her that he was. "What can I do; or what can we do I guess would be the better question."

"April's at the doctor's office right now. She didn't want to do a home test; she wanted to know for sure. She asked Maria to go with her and me to come and talk to you. She knew she had to tell Maria what happened and she wanted the support, but she wanted you to get the full story too. She wants your help, yours and Maria's."

"What does she want to do?" she asked.

Patrick shook his head. "She doesn't know yet. Like I said she wants to be absolutely sure one way or the other before she does anything else or makes any decisions."

"And what happens with you two?"

His eyes met hers again, and this time what she saw was resolve. "Whatever she decides, I'm there. I'm in love with her Soph, I think I probably have been since I was six years old. So if it means holding her hand in a clinic or holding her hand during labor I'm going to be there."

She couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes as she listened to him. She leaned in to kiss his forehead. "I am so very proud to be your sister," she told him quietly.

"Thank you," he responded shakily. "April was too freaked to drive, so Maria took her. They won't have the tests for a few days, she couldn't swing anything but a small women's clinic, but they're coming here after her appointment."

"Okay." Sophie took her little brothers hand and held it tight. "So we wait."

"We wait," he sighed.

When April had arrived with Maria an hour later they had both been ca complete wreck. April looked as if she hadn't slept in a week and Sophie could tell that her best friend was dealing with the weight of guilt that it had happened right in her home. For a few moments the three women simply embraced and cried together. Then April took refuge in Patrick's arms and they all talked for hours.

Patrick and April left just before Finn was due home and Sophia couldn't help but send out a little prayer for them. April had decided that she couldn't wait until she got the results to tell her parents, so they were headed over to the Hawkes. Maria hung around for a bit and try as she might Sophie couldn't convince her friend that she wasn't at fault for what had happened; if there was anyone to be angry at it was Maria's idiot roommate who had let two seventeen year olds into a party like that; even then there was no blame to be placed. Still, Maria left to scream at her just for good measure.

As she waited for Finn to get home Sophie thought back on everything that had happened that day. She knew that because of her parents' close friendships that it would only be a matter of time before Stella and Don and Danny and Lindsay were brought into the situation with all the rest of them, so she did her contemplative thinking while she could.

April was clearly scared out of her mind, but Patrick's presence seemed to soothe her. The pair of them had been a unit practically since birth, so it shouldn't have surprised her that they were wholly in this together, no matter what. Still, she couldn't help but marvel at their strength, even as she wanted to rage at the universe for what they were going through. She couldn't fully comprehend how April was feeling as she'd never experienced what the younger girl was going through; yet only feeling a fraction of the pain was almost unbearable, and she could imagine how it must be for April and her brother.

The door opened and shut and Finn walked in to find her sitting on the couch, her face streaked with tears. His amber eyes immediately lit with worry and she invited him to sit. Then while he listened attentively she described the hell the two teenagers were going through. He let her get through it before he pulled her into him; and when she wrapped her arms around him she wept for her little brother and the sweet little girl who would forever regret the one mistake she had made that had the potential to change her life forever.

Sophia and Maria both just about went crazy waiting to hear what had happened. Sophie had talked to both her mother and father in the days since everything had blown up. Both Stella and Flack told her that though they were disappointed, Hawkes and Carrie were mostly worried over what it was all doing to April. She was so miserable and so humiliated at telling her parents what had happened that they were terrified for her. Their entire interwoven group of friends and family had closed ranks and lent every ounce of support that they could.

It had been four days when Sophia's phone rang at work and April's number flashed on her caller ID. "Hey," she answered.

"Hey Sophie. I'm not pregnant," she said quietly. "Evidently it's stress or something; I'm honestly not sure. I sort of blanked out after not pregnant."

The relief was palpable, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as relief coursed through her. "You're okay?"

April let out a shaky breath. "I'm okay. Thank you Sophie."

"For what?"

"For listening, for not judging me."

Sophie made a sound of protest. "Oh sweetie I would never judge you. Everyone makes mistakes."

"Not quite as big as the one I made, but I'm glad that you feel that way. I'm lucky I didn't lose Patrick in the process."

"Honey Patrick's so in love with you that he'd crawl naked across the Sahara if you asked him to," she told her.

A hint of happiness crept into her voice then. "He does love me, and I love him, even though Daddy thinks we're too young to know. I'm so lucky to have him; I just should have realized that three months ago."

"It never helps to think about what might have been April. You two have gotten through this, and you'll get through everything else. And as for you father, it's going to take some time for Sheldon to come to grips with the fact that you're growing up."

"I know," she told her. "I've got to call Maria."

She nodded. "Do that."

"Thanks again Sophie."

"No worries."

She hung the phone up and only moments later her text messaging alert went off. It didn't surprise her that it was from Patrick. 'April stayed home today so she could take the call. Just called me and she's not pregnant.'

'I talked to her,' she texted back. Then it occurred to her, she didn't say it nearly enough. 'Love you baby brother.'


	9. I Loved Her First

Note From The Author-- I suddenly realized today that I never finished this story. I completely and totally epic fail. Anyway, here's the last chapter and I hope you enjoy

As Sophia Flack fussed with her veil, she wondered if it was normal to want to see her Dad more than anyone else in the moments before her wedding. Her mother had fled to the sanctuary moments before, afraid if she didn't take her place she would never stop crying; and Maria and April had gone to corral Patrick and the rest of the wedding party so the ceremony could actually start on time. The one person she hadn't seen in well over an hour was her father; so with one last look in mirror she picked up her bouquet and went to find him.

It didn't take Sophia long to track down her Dad. He was in the hallway outside the Bride's room, staring quietly out the window. For a moment she just stood there, taking him in. There may have been gray at his temples and a few more laugh lines on his face, but her father was still the most handsome man she had ever seen.

She could feel tears welling up as she finally spoke. "Daddy?"

Don turned, and his eyes filled when he saw her. "Baby you look gorgeous," he told her proudly. The antique lace dress skimmed her figure and her hair tumbled free, her veil cascading down her back, left bare by the dress. Above all, she looked happy, radiantly so.

"You have that look," Sophia told him. "That Dad look that says you're going to start crying and make me start up too."

"Nah," he said with a casual shrug. "Big tough NYPD Detectives don't cry, and Maria told me I'd die if I made you ruin your makeup."

She grinned. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me. You ready for this?"

Flack mimed a shot to the heart, pressing his hand dramatically to his chest. "As ready as a father can ever be." He walked to meet her and put his hands on his shoulders and she could see those bright blue eyes brimming with tears. "Ah hell there I go with the crying. "

"Don't start," she warned with levity "Maria will take you down."

"I'll risk it," he told her. Reaching out for her, he pulled her into his arms. "You have no idea how proud your mother and I are of the woman you've grown into."

Trying to fight back tears, she shook her head. "I'm glad I've made you proud. I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too." He pulled back and grinned at her. "Let's not keep Finn waiting any longer."

#######################################################################################

Only an hour later Finn and Sophia were man and wife, and Stella's head was reeling at the thought. She couldn't believe that her little girl was married.

"When did we get old?" Mac questioned.

She turned to look at him with a soft smile. "I was just wondering that myself." Her attention turned back to her daughter and she shook her head. "She's so beautiful. It's hard to imagine that Don and I made her."

"You did a good job."

"Yeah," Stella whispered. She brushed at the tears in her eyes as they announced the father daughter dance. "I don't think I've stopped crying all night. My daughter's married." She gave a surprised laugh. "God that's terrifying."

Mac smiled. "I think champagne's just the thing for that."

Finn had been watching the pair of them, and he waited for Mac to go for drinks before he walked up to stand next to Stella. "Thank you," he told her.

"For what?" she asked curiously.

He grinned before turning his attention back to the dance floor. "For her."

Stella found herself too stunned to say anything, so she just stood with him and watched as Don and Sophia glided across the floor. Sophia's eyes held her father's as the two of them talked and danced, and it only brought the tears on faster. "He loved her first," she said quietly.

"I know," Finn told her. "I'll never forget it."

As the music filtered away, Sophie leaned up to kiss her father's cheek and turned laughing into her little brother's arms. Smiling, Flack made his way over to Stella to pull her onto the dance floor. Sighing contentedly in his arms, she felt completely at peace. Dancing with the man she was still madly in love with after so many years, at their daughter's wedding, made her realize just how lucky they were to have found each other; and it just kept getting better.


End file.
